PROVO, Utah – Playing in front of a home crowd, the BYU women's tennis team squeezed by the unbeaten Denver Pioneers, 4-3, to earn its first win of the season. 

The Cougars (1-2) started the match off on a good note, securing the doubles point with wins on Court 1 and 2. 

Senior Megan Price and freshman Meghan Sheehan-Dizon, playing at the No. 1 position for BYU, earned the first doubles win for the Cougars. The duo went on a 5-2 run, breaking away from a 2-2 tie, to find themselves up 7-4 on Sophia Bergner and Steffi Rath, before closing it out 8-6.

Denver (5-1) evened the score with a doubles victory on Court 3. Emma Isberg and Michelle Garpenlou topped BYU’s Aubrey Paul and Lisa Waldron after winning three straight to gain an 8-5 victory over the No. 3 Cougar pair.

With the doubles point on the line, junior Desiree Tran and freshman Morgan Anderson fought hard on Court 2 against Caroline Schnell and Natalie Dunn. After a back-and-forth battle, the BYU duo took a 7-6 lead. Up 40-30, sophomore Tran hit a winner down the line to take the match and earn BYU the doubles point.

The competition remained close throughout singles play, with four of the six matches going to three sets. 

The Pioneers took a 2-1 lead after Tran and Anderson dropped their close matches on Court 1 and 3, respectively. 

Price leveled the score after a win over Schnell at the No. 2 position. Price fell in the first set but battled her way back to win a tiebreaker in the second set before closing it out with a final score of 5-7, 7-6(7-2), 6-3. 

Sheehan-Dizon put on a show at the No. 4 position with a riveting three and a half hour match against Rath that came down to a tiebreaker. With it tied at 5-5, Sheehan-Dizon won the next two to take the match 6-3, 6-7(5-7), 7-6(7-5).

BYU secured the win when Paul topped Dunn on Court 5. Paul dropped the first set but came back to hold her opponent to two games in the remaining sets. Paul walked away in a 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 victory. 

BYU continues match play at home as it challenges Nevada Saturday at noon at the Indoor Tennis Courts. Spectators may park in the “Y Lot” parking lots to the northwest and southwest of the courts all day. Admission is free and pizza will be provided.

BYU – 4
Denver – 3
 

Singles competition

1. Sophia Bergner (DU) def. Desiree Tran (BYU), 3-6, 6-1, 6-2
2. Megan Price (BYU) def. Caroline Schnell (DU), 5-7, 7-6(7-2), 6-3
3. Emma Isberg (DU) def. Morgan Anderson (BYU), 7-6(7-2), 6-4
4. Meghan Sheehan-Dizon (BYU) def. Steffi Rath (DU), 6-3, 6-7(5-7), 7-6(7-5)
5. Aubrey Paul (BYU) def. Natalie Dunn (DU), 3-6, 6-1, 6-1
6. Gabriella Boboc (DU) def. Lisa Waldron (BYU), 6-3, 6-3
 

Doubles competition

1. Price/Sheehan-Dizon (BYU) def. Bergner/Rath (DU), 8-6
2. Tran/Anderson (BYU) def. Schnell/Dunn (DU), 8-6
3. Isberg/Michelle Garpenlou (DU) def. Paul/Waldron (BYU), 8-5

Match Notes:

Denver (5-1)
BYU (1-2)
Order of finish: Doubles (1, 3, 2), Singles (1, 3, 2, 4, 5, 6)

PROVO, Utah – In its first weekend of home matches of the 2012 season, the BYU women’s tennis team takes on Denver and Nevada Friday and Saturday at the BYU Indoor Tennis Courts.

 “We’re excited to be playing at home,” BYU coach Lauren Jones-Spencer said. “It will be nice to play in an altitude we’re use to and have the support of a home crowd. The team has made significant improvements from last match and we’re ready and excited to play.”

The Cougars (0-2) challenge Denver (5-0) Friday at noon MST followed by a noon match against Nevada (0-0) on Saturday. 

BYU looks to bounce back after back-to-back losses to No. 38 Long Beach State and No. 56 UC Irvine last weekend. Denver is coming off a 6-1 victory over Arkansas State. Nevada kicks off its season Friday at Utah before travelling to Provo to take on the Cougars.

Playing at the No. 1 position for BYU is sophomore Desiree Tran. Tran holds an 8-6 overall record and teams up with freshman Morgan Anderson to form the No. 2 doubles duo for the Cougars.

Senior Megan Price sits at the No. 2 position in singles. Price and freshman Meghan Sheehan-Dizon have earned BYU’s two singles victories in the first two matches of the season. The two also play at the No. 1 doubles position.

Denver’s Sophia Bergner is 5-0 at the No. 1 position for the Wolf Pack. Bergner teams up with Steffi Rath to play on Court 1 for doubles as well, where the duo is 2-0 in dual play.

BYU leads the series against Denver, 5-2, and is 2-0 all-time against Nevada. The Cougars topped the Wolf Pack 4-3 in their meeting in the 2010-11 season.

Spectators may park in the “Y Lot” parking lots to the northwest and southwest of the courts after 4 p.m. Friday and all day Saturday. Admission is free and pizza will be provided.